The New Space Frontier: Live Video of Earth in HD Coming Soon

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Ask any astronaut about the view from space and you're likely to
get the same answer: The Earth is a gorgeous, crystal-clear
eyeful.

But for most of us on the ground, it’s a perspective not easily
within reach. But that may change with a Canadian firm's quest to
provide high-definition (HD) video
views of Earth from space.

The Calgary-based company, UrtheCast (pronounced "EarthCast") is
working with the Russia aerospace company RSC Energia to build,
launch, install and operate two cameras on the Russian module of
the International Space Station. The two Urthecast cameras — one
medium-resolution and one high-resolution — are being built by
the U.K.'s Rutherford Appleton Laboratories. [ Stunning
Astronaut Space Photos ]

Energia is targeting a 2012 launch for the cameras. Once they're
installed on the space station, their video of the Earth will be
beamed to ground stations around the planet, and then displayed
in near real-time on the UrtheCast Web platform or distributed
directly to the company’s exclusive partners and customers.

According to officials, imagery produced from the space station
will provide a 40 kilometer wide, high-resolution, color image
down to as close as 3.6 feet (1.1 meters). The firm’s Web
platform will allow users to constantly track the location of the
ISS, anticipating when it will pass over a particular geographic
location. Users will be able to search for videos of a particular
location, type or theme.

Fast forwarding Earth, pause, skip, rewind

"It's going to be a bit of a blend between Google Earth and
YouTube," said Scott Larson, UrtheCast’s co-founder and
president. "When you
look at Google Earth, you’re basically seeing static images.
What you're seeing with us is you’re seeing an image of the Earth
scrolling by. So you will be able to fast-forward, pause, skip,
rewind … you’ll be able to tag those videos,” he said.

Like a personal video recorder, users will have the ability to
interact with the HD video feed in real time as it is fed from
company servers. Those using the system will be able to zoom in
and out, virtually steer the camera from side to side, rewind,
and fast forward as they check out areas and things of interest
on Earth. [ Top 10
Views of Earth from Space ]

"Imagine Google Earth on steroids," said Cameron Chell,
co-founder and director of UrtheCast's Web platform development.
"It has the ability to capture political, environmental, economic
or sporting events at potentially any given time."

"This is going to affect more than the individual ... it's going
to affect Earth," predicted Chell.

Beautiful oasis in space

UrtheCast was officially launched on June 28 at the Calgary
Chamber of Commerce. As part of the kickoff ceremonies, Canadian
astronaut Dave Williams, provided an off-Earth view of looking at
our planet.

"The Earth is a truly remarkable place …. and a
beautiful oasis in space — there's nothing like it," Williams
said. "We have been blessed with such an incredible opportunity
to make sure we protect the Earth for future generations. What
better way to do that than to help people on earth be able to
experience the beauty of our planet first-hand by providing them
with HD video?"

Users will also be able to log onto the site for free, Larson
said.

"The site will be free to use," Larson said. "We will be
incorporating a sponsorship/advertising component that will allow
us to recoup the investment, but certainly the site will be free
to use."

Project status

The total financing requirement to build, launch and install the
video
cameras on the International Space Station is price tagged at
about $3 million. Also part of the venture is Canada's MacDonald,
Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., providing software, project
management, and engineering know-how to the endeavor.

"We are now in full production and engineering mode on the
cameras, and actually we just returned from a series of technical
meetings in Moscow," Larson told SPACE.com. "From an engineering
standpoint, things are going well and generally on track. Our
Russian partners have confirmed that they want to take the
cameras up in the late spring or early summer of 2012, so that is
the schedule we are working around."

In the meantime, Larson said that the group is working on the
ground segment and determining how best to process and present
the imagery from the cameras when the imagery gets on the ground.

"These apps might include programs that facilitate geo-caching,
education, or geography. Our job is just to get the cameras up
and then present the video and pictures in a clean, user-friendly
manner," Larson said. "The site users will determine what they
want to do with it and how to make it compelling. That is what
I’m excited about seeing."

Leonard David has been reporting on the space industry for
more than five decades. He is a winner of this year's National
Space Club Press Award and a past editor-in-chief of the National
Space Society's Ad Astra and Space World magazines. He has
written for SPACE.com since 1999.